BOULDER — I went to my first volleyball match of the year Wednesday night and, keeping with my profession’s vulture reputation, I came to Colorado’s do-or-die match of the year.

The Buffaloes are still alive.

On Senior Day, in their last home match of the season, they squeaked by Utah, 16-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 16-14. The match was like a playoff game for both teams. Both were 8-10 in the rock-hard Pac-12. A loss for Colorado and it would be seven losses in their last eight matches. With the regular-season finale at seventh-ranked USC Friday afternoon, Colorado can’t sell a nosedive of eight losses in the last nine to the NCAA Selection Committee that picks the 64-team field Sunday.

Wins over 11th-ranked UCLA and top-ranked Washington not only seemed like last month, it would seem like last year.

“It was absolutely a must win for us,” coach Liz Kritza said. “At a few points through this match we had to remind ourselves exactly how important it was.”

Finishing 9-11 in what’s generally regarded as the best volleyball conference in the country might catch the committee’s attention.

“I think (the chances) are good because we’re separating from the middle of the pack,” Kritza said. “To be quite honest, the discussion throughout the week has been, Well, who wins between Colorado and Utah?”

Utah (19-12 overall) has an RPI of 26; Colorado (17-12) is 54th. It had no wiggle room. The problem is Utah visits UCLA (15-13, 6-12) Friday. A win there and a Buffs loss at USC and they finish the season tied again.

“We have nine or 10 teams in this league that should go,” Kritza said. “Whether the selection committee sees it that way or not, I don’t know.”

The season came down to one key play. Utah led the fifth game, 14-13, and had set point. Kritza called timeout.

“There was such certainty,” Kritza said. “Every coach and every player made eye contact knowing how important it is. We know what’s on the line. We know what’s at stake.”

She called on junior star Taylor Simpson who had a match-high 20 kills. She buried one to tie it and then won the match with a serving ace.

“Before we played the game, in the locker room we had this talk,” Simpson said. “We’re doing this for the seniors. That was my motivation for this game. I’m doing it for the girl next to me.”

Even if the Buffs don’t make the NCAAs, the year showed marked improvement for Kritza. She came in this season with a four-year mark at Colorado of 33-84, including 10-71 in conference. But in the three years in the Pac-12 play, she has gone 1-21, 4-16 and now stands 9-10.

Still, an NCAA bid would be massive. If the Buffaloes make the NCAAs, it’ll be their first bid since 2006.

“For me, it would be fulfilling a goal that I set when I first came here,” Kritza said. “It’s a very importnat step for the overall vision of this program. I think Colorado is one of the programs that belongs in the NCAA Tournament, particularly with the move to the Pac-12 and (should) be one of the elite programs. To do that, you have to be a constant, you have to be a regular in the NCAA Tournament and make some deep runs.”

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.